1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for generating stereoscopic plenoptic video images, and more particularly to systems and methods for generating and displaying stereoscopic plenoptic video images by tracking a viewer's eye coordinates.
2. Background
3-D Stereoscopic video has a set focus, meaning that the illusion of depth is broken when viewers try to focus on an image outside the set depth plane. This effect can cause eye-strain in some viewers of 3-D content, as the eyes attempt (and fail) to focus on content outside the set depth plane of the scene as it was originally filmed. Plenoptic (a.k.a. ‘light field’) camera technology allows images to be captured that can be focused after the image is captured. In a traditional application setting, this allows for any object in a plenoptic image to be brought into sharp focus, no matter what focal plane the object is contained in.
In traditional photography, the area of focus of an image is configured prior to taking the picture. After the picture has been taken, the area of focus is set and the area which is out of focus cannot be made in focus. Conversely, a light-field, or a plenoptic camera, uses special lenses and sensors to capture the entire light field within the scope of a scene. Thus, a plenoptic camera is able to capture all the light traveling in every direction in every point in space. With a plenoptic camera, since the color, direction, and intensity of all light is captured, focusing is performed using software after the picture has been taken. Focusing after the picture has been taken allows the user to modify the area of the image which is in focus at any time.